Pokemon: The Fall of Masters
by Mythcatcher
Summary: The time of Pokemon Masters is long gone. Witness the lives of several brave Pokemon as they learn to communicate and survive in a battle-centered world. Contains some fantasy violence.
1. Chapter 1

Pokémon: The Fall of Masters

Chapter 1

Long have trainers and their Pokémon fought side by side to gain honor and find their place in the world together. To become the best, they have depended upon teamwork and power. As power grew among the top trainers, so did the desire to keep it.

The strongest trainers drove their Pokémon to be stronger still; to win always. These teams surpassed the abilities of all gym leaders and even the Elite. Any who challenged them and their training techniques were soon defeated, and the only hope of overcoming such opponents was to become more dangerous, more adamant, and more corrupt.

Ages passed by, and cruelty grew. Friendly competitions were replaced with vicious battles often resulting in death. Governments were overthrown by hostile trainers and their Pokémon. Compassionate people were killed or imprisoned. Even the friendship bond between Pokémon and their masters was severed. A Pokémon captured was doomed to obey its trainer's commands, no matter the consequences. To battle, until the day it died.

"Spearow! Spearow!" called the flock of wild Spearows as they scattered from the tall grass. A great Venusaur's ears perked, and she looked in the direction of the tiny birds. Only one thing scared Pokémon in that way: humans.

The Venusaur shuffled further into the tall grass. She soon located two little Bulbasaurs. "Nus…" she called to them.

"Bulba, Bulba!" the Bulbasaurs replied and approached the Venusaur they recognized as their mother.

"Venu, Venusaur," Venusaur warned her children. "Saurrr…" she groaned in despair.

"Saur?" the Bulbasaurs asked. They both trembled and stepped closer to their mother.

"SAAAAUUUURRRRR!" She bellowed and shoved them away with her muzzle.

The Bulbasaurs obeyed and ran toward the forest. Tears fell from Venusaur's eyes, and she ran in the opposite direction of her children. "SAAAAUUUURRRR!" she called again as she kept running.

Suddenly, two humans covered in dark clothing leapt into view. "Scyther! Attack!" one human summoned its Pokémon from a ball.

"Scy-ther!" called the mantis Pokémon as it emerged from its prison. It slashed through Venusaur's dorsal flower.

"Ve!" Venusaur grunted and ensnared the Scyther in several vines. The Scyther began viciously cutting to free itself.

"Go Skarmory!" the second human commanded. A great armored bird pokemon appeared and sliced Venusaur in the back of the neck with its wings.

"Nusaur!" Venusaur roared. She shoved and struggled to escape the attacks of her enemies. After several minutes, one of the humans threw a terrible red and white orb at Venusaur. The world around her began to grow dim. The last she heard before falling into a void was. "Look! Over there!"

Venusaur's son and daughter heard her attacking the humans. They dared not follow her to help. They couldn't. She had given them this chance to escape, and it was all they could do. They entered the forest and found themselves on a small cliff. Male Bulbasaur began searching for a way down safely. He stepped onto the ledge, and the ground broke beneath him.

"Ba!" Female Bulbasaur called to her brother.

"Sau! Bulbasaur!" Male Bulbasaur called to let his sister know he was unhurt.  
Female Bulbasaur got ready to follow her brother's example down the cliff. She jerked her head up at a sudden sound. She turned and saw the humans!

"There!" one of them barked.

Male Bulbasaur hid in some nearby bushes and looked up to make sure his sister followed. Upon the cliff, he saw the humans surround his sister. He began to return, but his sister saw him and shook her head. "SAAAAUUUURRRR!" she called like a miniature version of their mother. Then she was struck with a red and white orb and began fading from sight. A click sounded from the orb signaling that Bulbasaur's sister was a prisoner. One of the human's picked up the orb and tossed it before attaching it to a belt. Then the two humans left the forest, not realizing there was a second Bulbasaur hiding.

Bulbasaur waited until the humans could not be seen or heard, then he ran from the bushes and further into the forest. When he was tired from running, and was sure that he was alone, he sat down and lifted his head to the sky. "SAU!" he grieved for his dear sister. His family was as good as dead now. They were gone, and there was nothing he could do to save them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Bulbasaur heard something rustle in the bushes. He had learned that any moving thing that was not his family was an enemy. It certainly was not his family, for they were all gone, so he ran from whatever lurked in the bushes. Bulbasaur heard other Pokémon among the trees and repeatedly faced the same decision: should he fight or run? Had his family been with him, he would have been able to fight most Pokémon if they attacked. But on his own, he was afraid. He was still a little Bulbasaur and not a very strong fighter. Bulbasaur kept running if he heard anyone approach.

The sun crept downward, and Bulbasaur's pace slowed. "Saur…" he panted. He searched the area and found a large decaying tree. Bulbasaur crawled into the gnarled roots and curled up to sleep. The branches overhead reminded him of his mother and gave him some comfort that night.

The morning light and a swarm of Beedrills flying by caused Bulbasaur to wake. He stretched and cautiously looked around before leaving the shelter of the tree. Some foraging in the shrubs rewarded him with a bushel of Oran berries. He quickly ate them before another Pokémon could discover him or his food. Bulbasaur trudged onward.

"Bulba," he uttered in regret. Where was he going and why? What did it matter without his sister and parents? The further he went, the flatter the ground became, and the space between the trees grew. "Bu?" he commented at the sounds he heard in the distance. He paused to listen.

Bulbasaur could hear dozens of Pokémon cries and the shouts of humans. He ventured slightly closer to see what was happening.

"Bulbasaur, go!" someone commanded.

The order startled Bulbasaur, but he soon realized that the human calling was not speaking to him but to another Bulbasaur. Another Bulbasaur! Could it be? "Sau?" Bulbasaur asked and crept even closer. He darted into some tall grass where he could watch the source of the racket. Bulbasaur saw many humans in a dirt field sending out Pokémon to attack each other. One of the Pokémon in the group was indeed a Bulbasaur.

Bulbasaur's head drooped. "Basa," he sighed. The Bulbasaur on the field was not his sister. He did not know whether to be relieved or disappointed. He remained motionless as the humans used the Pokémon to battle; mostly out of fear of being discovered, but partially out of curiosity.

He became startled again when a human shouted "Bulbasaur, tackle!" and the Bulbasaur on the field obeyed. Bulbasaur calmed down and kept observing the Pokémon battle from the safety of the grass.

Bulbasaur could not help but be impressed by the humans' power over their Pokémon. The humans led the Pokémon with their voices. Most of the words Bulbasaur did not understand. Or so he had thought. The more he listened, the more he noticed certain attack patterns and behaviors from the Pokémon. Attack commands were easiest to recognize. Tackle, Growl, Poison Powder, Bulbasaur guessed correctly at what the captured Bulbasaur would do to obey. The humans used different words on different Pokémon, and were able to guide them in the battle successfully.

Before long, the humans gave a final command, and the Pokemon returned to the terrible orb prisons that Bulbasaur had just recently learned to recognize. The human group then walked toward what looked like rectangular mountains in the distance, and Bulbasaur was alone again.

Bulbasaur was afraid, but part of him wanted to see the humans again. He had learned so much just by watching and listening. Perhaps it would help him protect himself in the dangerous lonely world he now knew.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The day wore on as Bulbasaur stared in the direction that the humans had traveled. The distant, rectangle mountains caused him to shiver as they towered like massive, unmovable predators waiting to strike. What Bulbasaur was about to do was risky, but he had to try. It was this or return to a fearful life in the forest until a human or stronger Pokémon overcame him. With that in mind, Bulbasaur stepped forward. He kept walking before his fright could convince him that he should return to the tree shelter. Bulbasaur was careful to stay hidden in the tall grass as he crept closer to the unusual mountains.

"Bul-bulba?" he uttered when he could see the rectangles more clearly. They seemed to be made of colorful trees, and some of them had smoke escaping from their tops. Their sides had little square openings covered by something clear and gleaming, perhaps waterfalls? Very still, soundless waterfalls. "Basa!" Bulbasaur yelped and ducked behind a rock when he heard a creak from one of the strange trees. The tree's side split open, and a human stepped out of the gash. Bulbasaur stood motionless until the human passed by, and then he darted into the nearest patch of tall grass he could see. He trailed along in the foliage looking for the spot where he could be closest to the humans while staying out of sight. He peered at each of the colorful trees, and most of them seemed to be inhabited by humans already. Further inspection and he realized in horror that all of the trees were inhabited by humans. "Saur," Bulbasaur growled at the lack of shelter in this new place. Even the tall grass was getting sparse.

Bulbasaur eventually found a shrub just past the trees that sheltered the humans. He sat down and began watching the humans scurry back and forth. Bulbasaur strained to listen to the humans speak, but what he heard was not as recognizable as it had been during the battle. He fought the urge to doze as the humans chattered and wandered in seemingly useless ways. His ears perked whenever a pair of humans stopped each other for combat. Each trainer would summon a Pokémon and call commands until one or both Pokémon collapsed from injury.

One of these battles especially caught Bulbasaur's interest:

"Sandslash! I choose you!" shouted a trainer.

"Go forth… Kangaskhan!" another countered and released an enormous Pokémon, larger than any Bulbasaur had ever seen.

"Sandslash, use poison sting!" called the first trainer.

"Kangaskhan, mega punch!" replied the second.

The Pokémon collided with startling force. The Sandslash fell from the bigger Kangashan's fist and struggled to stand. The Kangaskhan roared and shook her head. Bulbasaur saw a welt on her fist where the Sandslash had stung.

The first trainer leered at this. "Defense curl, Sandslash, now!"

Kangaskhan groaned at the poison's dizzying effect.

The second trainer growled. "You're not finished yet, use rage!" The Kangaskhan obeyed and attacked the Sandslash again.

The Sandslash's spikes were not strong enough to stop the Kangaskhan's oncoming force, and the smaller Pokémon was crushed into unconsciousness. Satisfied with the battle, both trainers returned their Pokémon to their prisons and departed ways.

The sight of the imprisoned Pokémon was painful to watch, but Bulbasaur still found himself amazed at the trainer's abilities. The giant Pokémon easily had the strength to destroy her trainer, but she refrained and followed the commands given. Bulbasaur looked down at his own paws and had a thought. He was not a very strong Pokémon, but could he be strong with his voice like the humans? "Bul-ba-saur…" he tried. "Bul-ba-saur… Ba… Ba…Ta—"

He was interrupted by the calls of many humans. He watched as they gathered and ran to the open plain.

"Rhyhorn! It's coming this way!" said one.

"I didn't know they traveled this far south!" another replied.

As Bulbasaur watched and wondered what they meant by "Rhyhorn", a boulder-like object charged into the side of one of the human shelters. It backed up slightly and bellowed to the sky. Bulbasaur saw that it was a Pokémon a little bigger than himself. However, it was far heavier and covered in gray rocky plating. Bulbasaur did not dare challenge such a fierce Pokémon, and was glad that its attention was on the humans. The Rhyhorn locked its eyes on one of the smaller humans and charged toward it. A taller human who stood nearby spoke to the shorter one. "I will save you! Don't move!" Without wasting another second, the tall human threw a prison ball at the Rhyhorn. The sturdy Pokémon vanished into the orb that fell shaking to the dirt. The tall human laughed and raised both fists into the air. The rest of the humans seemed happy as well, but then a crack sounded, and they paused. The ball on the ground suddenly shattered, and the enraged Rhyhorn erupted out of it. Some of the trainers brought out their Pokémon which quickly surrounded the wild one. They brutally attacked the Rhyhorn until it was too weak to fight any longer. A trainer finally ended the battle by throwing another ball and capturing the poor Rhyhorn.

Bulbasaur could watch no longer. The sun was setting, so he began running back to the forest. He would sleep in the gnarled tree for the night, but in the morning, he would return. It frightened him to be so near the uncaring trainers, but at the same time, he had already gained some insight that could help him in the days to come. First of all, trainers had power from speaking, even over the strongest of Pokémon. Second, there was strength in numbers, as the trainers and their Pokémon demonstrated against the wild Rhyhorn. But Bulbasaur's third lesson was the greatest revelation of all and added purpose to the other two. It was possible to break the orb prisons. He could find his family and break the orbs that held them! "Ba," he sighed and remembered that he was still a little Bulbasaur. Such a task would not be easy and could not be done alone. That's why he would return to the human shelter and learn what he could from them. Bulbasaur remembered hearing one of the trainers say a phrase of encouragement and tried to repeat it. "Ba bul sa Sau," he failed. He could not say it today, but he would not give up and not lose hope.


End file.
